Ode to Hank Gathers

I have been around the game of basketball my whole life; it wasn’t till the age of 10 or 11 that I really started to enjoy watching it on television. And one team was more exciting than any to watch, that was Loyola Marymount University, coached by Paul Westhead. You may ask, “Why was this team so exciting to watch?” The reason is simple they averaged 122 points per game and had scored over 100 points 28 times (The NCAA Division Record). The 1990 team was headed by three superstars, sharp shooter Jeff Fryer, Hank Gathers, and his close childhood friend Bo Kimble. Their offense was simple score as quick as possible and full court press the whole game. The rule was “Shooters shoot the ball within four seconds” (Bo kimble). These guys could score on the best in the game at the time. Gathers dropped 48 points, shooting, 20-35 from the field, 8-11 from the line and grabbed 13 rebounds against Shaquille O'Neal’s highly ranked Louisiana State, only to lose in overtime. During that year Gather averaged 30 points 10 rebounds a game shooting a ridiculously 59 percent. Gathers and Kimble were bound for greatest in the NBA.

But, I am sad to say that this story doesn’t have a happy ending. On March 4th 1990, 20 years ago last week, tragedy struck the LMU Lions. In the 2nd round of the WEC tournament, during the first half of the game Gathers, just finished dunking the ball, as he was back peddling to the other end he fell to the floor. Coach Westhead, said, “"When [Gathers] fell down, I wanted them to get him back up. I always thought he would get back up.” Gathers, never got back up, he was pronounced dead at the young age of 23 from a heart-muscle disorder an hour later.

After his death LMU had to move and continue to play in the NCAA tournament. During each game Bo Kimble, would shoot his first free throw of each game left handed in memory of his childhood friend Hank Gathers who was left handed. LMU made it to the elite eight losing in a rematch to powerhouse UNLV 101-131. Kimble was the 8th pick in the NBA draft that summer.

Recently Kimble spoke of Gathers and the impact Gather has had 20 years later on the Dan Patrick Radio Show. Bo Kimble stated, “Being in Africa, and another continent, and then in Germany, and places I’ve traveled it’s just amazing that people just remember his legacy and what the entire team achieved like it was yesterday, and that’s the most amazing thing to me.”

“Hank Gathers somehow through his life and his death people respect and remembered him and I know he would be proud of that because he really was not just extraordinary person on the court he was an awesome person off the court. And that’s the thing I am proud people to know that he was a great person….Today, (March 4, 2010) is a celebration of his legacy.” (Bo Kimble.)

I can still even remember watching a made for TV movie, “Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story,” as a kid.